Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (2024)

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borisjohnsonshair · 26/10/2012 19:42

I have tried over the years to make this, and every time it never turns out right. My gut feeling is that it needs to be cooked lower and slower than all the recipes suggest, as mine always burns on the outside and is wet and soggy in the middle, despite cooking it for about an hour more than I should do. If anyone can make one successfully, then please can you pass on your recipe/method? Thank you.

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GwendolineScaryLacey · 26/10/2012 19:47

Delia (on my phone so can't be arsed linking!). Never ever fails. I double the quantity of hole though as we're pigs :o. As long as you make sure the dish is extremely well greased it's perfect every time.

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marquesas · 26/10/2012 19:56

An hour longer than it says isn't right - if you've cooked the sausages first the batter shouldn't take more than about 20 mins, just use whatever recipe you do for Yorkshires.

You need to have the oven smoking hot (220 approx) and get the batter in quick.

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PurplePidjInAPointyHat · 26/10/2012 20:00

Cook the sausages in the dish in the oven, tip the batter over when they're nearly done :)

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borisjohnsonshair · 26/10/2012 20:12

The thing is, I've tried following recipes to the letter; my oven has a thermometer in it, so I know it's the right temperature. The last recipe I tried had quite a runny batter mixture; the oil was smoking hot, the sausages had been cooked for about 10 mins. I put the batter in over the sausages, cooked for 10 mins, then turned the oven down and cooked for another 20. Still raw in the middle. So took out the sausages and ate them with the veg, put the batter back in for another 20 mins - still not cooked, but very burnt at the edges. I want to give up, but also want to beat this thing as I don't like not being able to do things.

does it make a difference what type of dish and oil you use? I usually use an enamel one, and use sunflower or rapeseed oil.

Thanks for all the tips so far btw

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BaldricksTurnip · 26/10/2012 20:16

Recently discovered that you need to put oil in the dish first, then put back into oven until its boiling, then put pour batter in and slam the door quickly. Works every time!

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Frontpaw · 26/10/2012 20:27

Your fat's got to be smoking hot. I cook up my (veggie) sausages in the pyrex dish with olive oil. When they're donw and the fat is hot, get the batter in there fast and the dish back into the oven and the door closed. Keep it closed to keep the heat up! Works a treat! Yum.

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PurplePidjInAPointyHat · 26/10/2012 20:34

Dp normally does it (he has the knack) but it's always yorkshire pud-texture batter and a big metal roasting tin.

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sashh · 27/10/2012 01:23

the oil was smoking hot

You need lard or dripping, animal fat gets hotter than veg oil/fat.

Put your oven on about 220.

Get a metal oven dish, put in the sausages and lard for 15 mins.

Take two eggs, some milk and flour.

beat the eggs in a large jug (easier to pour) add about 1/2 pint of milk and whisk. Start adding flour and whisk. Keep adding flour until the mixture is the texture of double cream.

Turn the oven up to full.

Pour the batter into the tin as quickly as you can and put back in the oven for 10 mins.

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Frontpaw · 27/10/2012 09:09

I use vegetable oil (not olive, as previously said - it doesn't taste ok) as I make a veggie version and it works ok. I love yokshire puds!

Actually (lazy cook emcom) M+S do a tub of batter mix which comes with a measuring spoon, so you just need to measure cold water and scoops into a jar - shake and its ready to use (my mum will be spinning at this!).

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ApplesinmyPocket · 27/10/2012 09:26

I did a perfect one the other day. Used the left-over yorkshire pudding mix I'd made in Sunday. Let it come to room temperature. Fried the sausages till they were nearly done while the (vegetable) oil was heating in a very hot oven (glass pyrex dish.)

Sausages into hot oil in dish, poured in batter around them (the oil was so hot the batter sizzled and immediately began to 'lift' at the edges) - gently into oven, didn't open door again, done to perfection (big, brown puffy) in about 25 mins.

I've had some failures, though. Oven temp and oil temp are surely crucial, as is not opening the door until the thing has done the initial rising and firming. Room-temp batter is, I sense, important. A not-too-deep dish so it doesn't get the chance to cluster all sulky and pasty in the middle out of sight.

It sounds like you're doing all the right things, really.... grit your teeth and try again. It will come right next time I bet! what with all us MN-ers willing it up, up UP [hsmile]

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TitWillow · 27/10/2012 09:41

I sometimes do the toad in two sections. So cook your sausages, heat oil till very hot in your dish - at least a centimetre deep. Add about a 3rd of the batter to the oil, and back in the oven for ten minutes. Take it out, lay the sausages on top of the batter, and pour the rest of the batter on top, back in the oven for 20 mins. I sometimes add browned onions to the sausages too.
The batter will be crispy round the edges, and solid but still moist in the middle. Yum.

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Frontpaw · 27/10/2012 09:46

Yes - you need the sizzle! I don't take the bowl out of the oven fully - just slip the shelf out a bit, pour the batter in fast and get the door closed (and keep it closed) as fast as possible.

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marquesas · 27/10/2012 10:01

Yes, you definitely need lard not oil and don't turn the oven down while it's cooking.

Does the batter start to rise almost as soon as you put it in the oven? Maybe the problem is your recipe - how do you make the batter?

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MissZombRee · 27/10/2012 10:02

Whisk your mix up the key it sit on the side for an hour so the mix is room temp, not cold as the milk will have been fridge temp, I assume? Whisk it up some more after the hour to get some air in it and then into the boiling hot oil!

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Frontpaw · 27/10/2012 13:01

I put the batter in a jar with a screw top and give it a good shake. It should bubble and hiss when it hits the hot fat (veg oil does work - I can't compare to animal fat as I haven't eaten it for over 25 years now!).

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 27/10/2012 13:09

Dumb question....can you make homemade Yorkshire pudding?

Personally in the days of aunt Bessie I have gone off homemade Yorkshire puddings because I don't like the stodgy bit in the middle. That doesn't mean it is undercooked though.

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 27/10/2012 13:10

The other thing would be to use less batter I guess to get less stodge in the middle.

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Frontpaw · 27/10/2012 13:20

Stodgy middle = batter too deep and fat/oven not hot enough.

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marquesas · 27/10/2012 14:36

Haunted - yes, you certainly can home make Yorkshires, you do know that they existed before Aunt Bessie don't you Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (5)

There was a recent thread about the best recipe

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 27/10/2012 16:18

I know you can. I meant could the op make home made yorkies without the sausages that she was happy with!

My point was that a homemade girlie is completely different to an aunt Bessie and that aiming for the latter is bound to lead to dissapointment.

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marquesas · 27/10/2012 16:28

Haha Haunted, I thought you meant can one home make Yorkshires Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (6)

I agree, it would be good to practice with just the batter first.

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amidaiwish · 27/10/2012 16:48

Inspiring thread!! Place marking

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ChristmasKate · 27/10/2012 16:57

frontpaw has it right, you're adding to much batter.

I like to put bacon and onion in mine.

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HauntedLittleLunatic · 27/10/2012 17:01

Oi! I said less batter first Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (7)

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Frontpaw · 27/10/2012 23:04

Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (8)

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Can someone teach me how to make a toad in the hole please??? | Mumsnet (2024)

FAQs

Why is toad in the hole called toad in the? ›

The most commonly accepted explanation for its name is that the sausages resemble toads peeking from a crevice made of crisp batter.

Why did my toad in the hole not rise? ›

Getting your Yorkshires to rise:

Toad in the Hole needs a hot dish with plenty of oil. Using a metal baking tin and adding the batter quickly is recommended. Also, the dish needs to be large enough so that the batter can creep around the edges (at least 30cm x 25cm ideally).

What is a fun fact about toad in the hole? ›

Toad in the hole was originally created as a way to stretch out meat in poor households. Chefs therefore suggested using the cheapest meats in this dish. In 1747, for example, Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery listed a recipe for "pigeon in a hole", calling for pigeon rather than sausages.

What do Americans think toad in the hole is? ›

In America, a place I am very well versed on, a “Toad in a Hole” is an egg that has been fried in a slice of toast with a hole cut into it. Here are a number of Toads in Holes being made, American style. You could say that it's simply sausages in Yorkshire pudding but it is more than that.

Why does my toad in the hole not cook in the middle? ›

However it is most likely that the batter isn't quite cooking properly due to the dish. Stoneware tends to heat up very slowly and doesn't give the instant hit of heat that the batter needs to help it to rise properly.

What does it mean to call a person a toad? ›

informal. an extremely unpleasant man, especially one who is not very physically attractive: [ as form of address ] You lying toad! (Definition of toad from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

What was toad original name? ›

Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a character from the Mario franchise. The character was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and is portrayed as a citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom and one of Princess Peach's attendants.

What is the best baking tin for toad in the hole? ›

What is the best baking tin for toad in the hole? A metal tin with fairly high sides is best because metal is a very efficient conductor of heat and getting the batter hot is essential for a good rise.

Can you eat undercooked toad in the hole? ›

Sausage temps for toad in the hole

To get sausage that is safe to eat, it must be cooked to 160°F (71°C), so you'll need to check the doneness with your Thermapen® ONE before you remove your dish from the oven.

Why do toads bury themselves in summer? ›

Toads don't require actual standing water, but they do need to keep their skin moist. In dry spells like this year's month of July, they burrow down into moist soil and go into "estivation," the hot weather counterpart to hibernation.

Do toad in the holes actually contain toads? ›

Usually in America, toad in the hole refers to an egg cooked in the hole cut out of a piece of bread. But in England, it's sausages cooked in what is essentially Yorkshire pudding. To me, the English version is more whimsical, perhaps because Mr. Toad is my favorite character in The Wind in the Willows?

What to serve with toad in the hole? ›

Serve at the table with the Toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, greens and baked beans or maybe a green salad if you're feeling a little guilty!

Why does my toad in the hole sink? ›

Make sure the the fat is really hot before you add the batter. Really, really hot oil. It has to be smoking as you pour the batter in. Don't, under any circ*mstances open the oven door during cooking or they will sink.

What's another name for a toad in a hole? ›

It's earned a slew of monikers, from the strange to the provocative: bird's nest, egg-in-a-basket, the Popeye, the one-eyed jack, and in a confusing twist to Brits, a toad-in-a-hole.

Why is it called Yorkshire pudding? ›

It has been suggested the pudding was given the name “Yorkshire” due to the region's association with coal and the high temperatures this produced that helped to make crispy batter.

Where is toad in the hole eaten? ›

Toad in the hole is a traditional British dish comprised of sausages baked into a giant Yorkshire pudding, typically served with an onion gravy. Yorkshire pudding is similar to popovers in the US and Dutch baby pancakes.

Can you eat toad in the hole the next day? ›

How long can you keep Toad in the Hole in the fridge? Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Toad in the Hole in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

What if toad in the hole batter is too thick? ›

Eggs aren't all the same weight so if 200ml is still too thick, then add a bit more milk. If you end up with something that is more the consistency of water, just add a little flour to thicken it back up a little.

Why is the toad in the hole flat? ›

You need to convert that water into steam fast to get a good rise, and you need the batter to crisp up quickly so it doesn't collapse. This is why you need hot fat and a hot oven. I would say 180C is much too low: use 220C*.

Why does toad have teeth? ›

Most frogs have short, pointed teeth for gripping prey. But "true toads" in the family Bufonidae have no teeth at all. These bold predators catch prey with their sticky tongues and swallow it alive. Some large toads eat almost anything they can fit in their mouths, including mice, birds, snakes, and other frogs.

Why do they call it bangers and mash? ›

Sausages were made with cheap ingredients and high levels of water, which meant that they had a tendency to explode during cooking as the water turned to steam. 'Bangers' today are far less likely to explode. 'Mash' of course, refers to mashed potatoes.

Why is there only one girl toad? ›

As it were, Nintendo never really settled on a specific gender for the Toads, according to Hayashida. Toads are a genderless race that take on gendered characteristics. He also clarified that Toad and Toadette are not romantically involved.

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